Multiple Faces Detected
February 8th, 2022
There are so many scams online that it can be hard to figure out what is a scam, and which is real. Because of the massive amount of people using amazon every month, scammers flock to the platform to get try to scam unsuspecting shoppers. Amazon’s good reputation and worldwide recognition make it easier for scammers to trick people into falling for scams. Because of this, Amazon scams are up 500% from Jue 2020. In this article, we’ll cover the most common Amazon scams out there and give you a few tips to know when whether or not you’re talking to the real company.
Amazon Text Message Scam
It’s common for people to receive Amazon scam texts. In these amazon spoofing scams, scammers will send you a message that gets you to click on a link. These fake messages often claim that there is something wrong with your account, there has been a sign-in attempt on your account, or that you’ve won a prize of some sort. Once you click on this link, there are a few things scammers typically do. These include malware scams, phishing, and more.
These scam texts are known as SMS Phishing (or SMISHING), These scams are responsible for losses in the tens of millions of dollars range every year.
Amazon Air Pods Raffle
One of the scams that have been floating around the internet lately is the Amazon Raffle scam. In these scams, a person will get an email or text message from “Amazon” claiming that they’ve won a pair of Air pods. The text then gives them a place to go to “verify” delivery information. It may also ask for credit card info to verify your identity or to pay for the shipping cost.
These scams aren’t just for AirPods, they can also claim you’ve won smartwatches, cash prizes, and more. The goal of these scam messages is to get you to buy a product that you think is from a trusted brand, but once you receive them, you’ll discover that they’re cheap knockoffs, and in some cases, you won’t receive them at all.
Many people will fall for this scam despite never having entered a raffle. A good rule of thumb for avoiding this scam is, If you don’t remember entering an Amazon raffle, chances are slim to none that you’ve won a prize from one. Any links attached to these kinds of messages should be outright avoided.
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams have been around since the beginning of the internet. A phishing scam is when someone sends out an email pretending to be a reputable company. In this case, a phishing scammer will send you an email posing as amazon. And once you click on the email, the scam begins. These phishing scams usually have one or a couple of goals.
- Steal your password: One of the goals of an amazon phishing scam is to get you to go to their fake amazon website. Once there you will be prompted to sign in. Once you sign in to the website that you think belongs to Amazon.com, your account information will now be in the hands of scammers
- Install Malware on your device: Short for “malicious software“. There are many different types of malware out there. The type of malware that is used depends on the goal of the scammer. There is spyware, ransomware, trojan horses, and more. Installing these viruses on your device is a common goal of these scammers.
- Get you to buy fake products: Cloning the website of a well-known company can get you to shop on the site and purchase fake products. Once you buy these products, they never show up.
The safest bet is to never click on a link in a text or email unless you are completely sure that it is valid. If you get a message from Amazon, it’s always safer to go to your Amazon account without clicking a link. If there really is a problem with your account or an order, you will be able to tell from there. Phishing scams aim to steal your information by pretending that you need to complete some action on the site, and once you’ve completed the action, you get your information stolen, To avoid these scams. Use the tip below.
How to Avoid Being Scammed
The best way to avoid being scammed is to run a reverse image search on the person or business in question. A reverse search will search the entire internet to bring you the information you’re looking for. This powerful search is easy, just upload any piece of information you have on them into the search bar below, and you’ll get your answer in no time.
